Milbank

About Milbank

Milbank is a New York law firm founded in 1866 with a long-standing private client practice. Its Trusts, Estates and Private Clients group advises families with substantial and often international wealth on estate planning, trust design, family governance and charitable structures.

Known For

• Trusts, Estates and Private Clients group with roots in the firm's nineteenth-century client base
• Cross-border estate planning for families with assets and heirs in several jurisdictions
• Family governance work, including family constitutions and the design of family office structures
• Ranked in Chambers High Net Worth for its private wealth practice

Typical Mandate

Milbank's private client lawyers are typically instructed by founding families and multigenerational households whose wealth is held through operating businesses, trusts and private investment vehicles. Typical work includes succession planning ahead of a liquidity event, the restructuring of legacy trusts, the creation of private foundations, and coordination with foreign counsel where family members live outside the United States. The group draws on the firm's tax and corporate lawyers when a family matter touches a business.

How to Engage

Introductions usually come through an existing adviser: a private bank, a family office or another law firm. Direct approaches through the firm's website are possible. A first meeting is with a partner in the New York private client group, and prospective clients should be ready to describe family composition, residence and citizenship, the main holdings and any existing trusts.

Frequently Asked Questions